Cinnamon Kitchen ****

 

 

Unlike the restaurant last reviewed Cinnamon Kitchen is definitely one of the better Indian restaurants London has to offer. It is Cinnamon Club’s sister restaurant and follows a similar theme by combining Indian spices and dishes with Western culinary techniques. The Head Chef Vivek Singh has certainly created an effective niche in the Indian restaurant market in London and the result is excellent.

However first of all it’s worth mentioning the decor which is tasteful, classy and modern. If you’re thinking this means it’s pretentious and stuffy then it is definitely not. The atmosphere is relaxed and the main restaurant is large and light enough so that you can see your bill at the end and the person you’re dining with.

As for the food, this is excellent and each dish is inventive, tasty, immaculately prepared and presented like a work of art. The photos above will attest to the that. If you visit Cinnamon Kitchen then there are a few things you must try, the Welsh lamb kebabs, the paneer starters, the deer and the cocktails which are quite brilliant as well. Each dish carries the correct balance of spices and no one flavour is overpowering. The presentation is also immaculate and the correct balance between artistic and interesting and non-pretentious. This is not haute cuisine – it’s better, in my opinion.

As for the damage, meals typically come to about £30-£40 per head, but more if you try any of the cocktails which are priced between £7-£14.

If you’re wondering what to do after your meal then why not head across the entrance way to Anise, Cinnamon Kitchen’s bar. Try to avoid this place during happy hour during which time it takes about 20 minutes to get served and is pretty crowded, however at any other time this bar is very very cool. The music is a mixture of dance, R & B, pop and bollywood however as long it’s not a Friday night the atmosphere is relaxed. This is definitely the place to go if you want a cocktail or nightcap after your meal. Some of the signature cocktails include the Rupee Rush, the Cinnamon Bellini and the Daiquiri.

Overall I would rate Cinnamon Kitchen 4 out of 5.

Chowki **

Chowki, on paper, has a lot going for it. It’s situated in an ideal location just off Piccadilly Circus and Shaftesbury Avenue, convenient for a meal after an evening out in Theatreland or a day out in Central London. It’s also a low-cost Indian restaurant which offers food from different regions in India, a unique idea which is rare to see in most of London’s curry houses.

The restaurant however fails to deliver on all counts. The seating in the restaurant is Wagamama style with benches and the location itself is on a narrow side street on Denman Street. It’s also arguably one of the dankest and dark restaurants I have ever been into and the ambience added little to enhance the overall dinining experience. Chowki can perhaps take note from Masala Zone and how each of their restaurants is excellently decorated and maintained.

The food was similarly disappointing although the starters were reasonable including the bhel puri and samosas. The desserts were also ordinary and by no means unique, the photo above will attest to that  however these dishes alone are no reason to come to Chowki. The mains however were particularly disappointing and the culinary variation reflective of India’s diverse cuisine was simply not evident – the Madras chicken curry was prepared in exactly the same manner as the Mumbai lamb curry the only difference in the dishes being the choice of meat. The preparation of the dishes and the quality of the food however was not bad although only just above average.

The only thing however that did bring a smile to my face was the bill which was very reasonable for a restaurant adjacent to Shaftesbury Avenue. You can expect to pay approximately £10-£15 per head for a meal including drinks although it should be noted that there are other restaurants in London that offer far better food at similar prices.

Overall I would give Chowki a rating of 2 out of 5.